Stargate Atlantis: Dragon's Lair
by the morrighan
Summary: The second half of my version of a series six. This is the fourth story.
1. Chapter 1

Stargate Atlantis: Dragon's Lair

"John? John!"

John Sheppard glowered at the reprimand. Dutifully he returned to sit on the bed, to recline and endure yet another round of tests. He was silent, sullen, arms folded across his chest as the nurse placed the electrodes on each temple. He glared at the ceiling at Carson Beckett started the machine and watched the monitor. At the same time a green beam of light swept over the stubborn patient, slowing across his face and stopping momentarily at the top of his head.

John was sick of being treated like an invalid.

Ever since his too deep connection to the city he had been off-duty, restricted to Atlantis and barred from the use of any of the systems except the most basic ones. He had had to watch teams come and go as missions were resumed. He had watched them come and go through the Stargate, since he was not allowed to go through that either. He had had to watch his own team be led by Jason Reynolds. He knew it was all SOP after being compromised, even though it hadn't been an alien entity in his brain but the city. Still it rankled.

Still it made him angry and morose.

Still it soured his mood and made him even more withdrawn.

John hadn't said much about the experience. He wanted to keep it close, for now, until he could ask someone about the details and work out his own conclusions. Since he was barred from any 'Gate travel that would have to wait as well. He was unable to get the answers he needed and it only added to his resentment.

He understood the concern, the reasoning. He knew the protocols by heart, and had even enforced them from time to time. Just never on himself. He knew his friends were worried about him, concerned. He had to agree it was troubling, and he had to agree he had not been acting like himself for weeks now.

He really didn't know why.

It was none of their business anyway.

He sighed, impatient. "Well?" he snapped.

"Just a tic," Carson scolded. The doctor examined his scanner, the readouts and the monitors. He removed the electrodes. "You're clear."

"I already knew that!" John snapped. He sat, swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood.

"Just limit your access to the city systems," Carson reminded.

"I've been doing that! When will you clear me for active duty?"

"When I am satisfied you are fit for active duty," Carson replied. He returned the military commander's glare with a mild expression. "John, it would help if you would talk about it."

"I have."

"All that you've said is that you went to a different city in the past to learn about the new species."

"I did."

"Nothing else?"

"No."

"You're being obstinate."

"I need to get more intel before I can say more and to do that I need to go through the Stargate," John stubbornly asserted.

"No."

John sighed, suppressing a slew of curse words. "Then I have nothing to say."

"Then you are still restricted to the city." Carson shook his head and moved away from the recalcitrant military commander. He knew the man could be stubborn, but this was bordering on paranoia and it had the doctor very concerned. Not that John had ever been a chatty sort, but when it came to the city or a mission he was usually very forthcoming, especially if it was important. This stubborn reticence made Carson wonder.

John followed the doctor across the infirmary. "What do you want me to say, doc? What I, um, found merely confirms my discovery in the database. I just need to clarify some things and then that mission will be a go. I don't want to walk in without all the necessary intel."

"And this necessary intel just happens to be off world?" the doctor asked, setting down his data pad on a desk full of books and papers and computer screens.

"No. The clarifications are off world. I just need to, I just need to talk to someone who can clarify a few things for me about that place." John felt awkward as he tried to explain it.

Carson turned to him and the colonel looked round, avoiding eye contact. "I see. Can't you do that via a radio link?"

John shifted his stance, eying the table. "Ah, no. Not really. I want to keep this classified until I can confirm some things and present the mission." He met Carson's gaze and felt chagrin seeing a flicker of amusement in the doctor's blue eyes. "Look, Carson, I know I sound paranoid but this whole thing is well, weird. I mean this thing with the city and seeing the past by being there. I am trying to protect Atlantis from a very real threat."

"I know that you are, John, but who is going to protect you?"

"From the city?"

"Aye, and from yourself. I don't doubt you, John, but I do doubt your methods. The city is having a deleterious effect on you, but it's not just the city, is it?"

"I don't know what you mean," he evaded, suddenly disliking the assessing gaze of the doctor.

"Don't be so bloody stupid, man! I may be able to clear you for next week. Now go on, get out of my infirmary."

John stared, puzzled as Carson moved past him. The doctor was concerned one moment, berating him the next. He shook his head and exited the infirmary.

The city was quiet. People were going about their daily tasks, their daily routines, giving the military commander a wide berth. Curious looks crossed over him, followed him. The city itself was quiescent, as if chastened by what it had done to its favorite son and consequently sulking over only having his limited touch. Or so it seemed to John as an occasional breeze would ruffle his hair or a door would whisper open as if in consoling greeting.

He strolled into the control room, stopping just short of the consoles. "Hey. Anything?"

Chuck Campbell shrugged. "Not yet, sir. We're scanning and monitoring." He pointed to the screens which were tracking every ship in the galaxy and their approximate position.

John stepped towards the screens, gaze moving from one to the other. The blips were indistinguishable, moving slowly but steadily towards Atlantis. The other screen showed a host of blips. Some were Wraith and some were the new enemy. John frowned. He reached out to touch the console. Thinking better of it he withdrew his hand. "Can you overlay Rodney's maps over this?"

"Yes sir." Chuck hit a few buttons.

John scowled, feeling foolish, as if he was a child having to ask permission before he could play with the grown-up toys. He eyed the screen again. He rubbed his temple as a dull ache was a small discomfort he could ignore. "There's some movement. Judging by where the Wraith are, anyway. Why can't we get a solid fix on the fuglies?"

"Doctor McKay says it has to do with their cloaking capabilities and their energy signatures. We can't quite get a lock on their position," Chuck explained, glancing at John. The military commander was staring at the screen, gaze pensive, solemn. "Doctor Zelenka is working on a way to get round that, he says, as well as trying to find a way to contact Earth." John was silent, still staring at the screen as if entranced. "Colonel Sheppard?"

John broke from his thoughts. "Yeah. Okay. Thanks." He glanced up to see Richard Woolsey staring at him. He shrugged and strolled out of the control room.

He hated feeling like an outsider in his own damn city.


	2. Chapter 2

Stargate Atlantis: Dragon's Lair2

John sat in the conference room. A data pad was in front of him. He was staring at the screen then drawing a facsimile on a pad of paper. He was making notes in the margins. Although frustrating it was the only way he could work and it did force him to think more carefully. He was plotting the course of the fuglies as best he could, marking off their previous locations and the planets in their path. He was trying to find their trajectory. At the same time he was trying to locate the elusive Tir na nOg. With limited computer access this was more difficult. Having an address was one thing. Locating the actual planet on a map of the galaxy was quite another.

Frustration was building in him but he doused it with careful concentration and focus. He rubbed his chin, mind working furiously albeit with limited facts and estimates. He tapped the keys to bring up another map, this time the one Rodney had found of the Stargate network. He stared at it, overlaying key points on his own hand-drawn map. It was time-consuming work, but it was better than sitting around doing nothing while he waited for Carson to clear him.

"Should you be doing that?"

He looked up to see Ann Teldy in the doorway. She was in her familiar Atlantis BDUs, military gear. Her blond hair was trapped in a tight bun behind her head. Her blue eyes perused him as she entered the room. John shrugged. "A little won't hurt me." Nevertheless he shut the lap top before she could further reprimand him.

Ann took the seat next to him. "I could help you, if you'd like." She glanced at the pad of paper, at the hand-drawn map but John closed the pad, concealing his diagrams.

"I just have to wait until Beckett gives me the all clear," he said. His impatience was obvious.

Ann smiled. "He will, soon enough. You gave us all quite a scare, John. You were unconscious for several hours. John, I wish, I wish you would talk about it. I know it is troubling you, besides all of this." She gestured round the conference room.

"Isn't this enough?" he asked, tensing at the question. He hated being interrogated, even by his friends, even by his girlfriend.

"Well, yes, more than enough, and that's why you are pushing yourself, right? You are shouldering too much, John. Let me help you. Why is there all this secrecy? This place you think you have discovered, you really haven't said that much about it."

"I did discover," he corrected quietly.

"You did discover," she amended, although her skepticism remained evident. "Why must it be a secret? You can trust us. You can trust me."

"I know that. Until I can verify a few things it needs to be that way. This could be a wild goose chase for all I know and I don't want to get our hopes up for nothing."

"Because the city wants you to keep it quiet?"

"Yes." He sighed, scowling, answering before thinking. He drew his hand away from hers. "Look, I can't explain it, and quite frankly since no one believes me I don't feel the need to explain it." He turned away from her.

"John, of course I believe you," she soothed, touching his arm. "It's just hard to, to understand. This connection you have with the city, the way it…talks to you. You have to admit it is a little unusual and hard to understand when you are not experiencing it."

John was silent, sullen. No one understood, except for Carson and at times even the doctor was dubious at the extent of John's interaction with Atlantis. His friends were supportive, but skeptical, except for Rodney who was downright dubious, but John expected nothing less from the physicist and actually welcomed the honesty. He didn't try to pretend to understand like the others did. Like Ann was doing now. John tapped his foot on the floor. He knew that Moira would understand, if he told her about it. When he told her about it, he silently corrected.

"John? I'm sorry. Let me help you, at least. What do you need to find in the data base? I can look for you, or even access the Ancient Podium. Have you tried that?"

"Yes. And no," he turned to her, schooling his expression, "you can't help me. I mean I already have what I need, just about. I have to put the pieces all together. I'll get the rest ASAP."

"I still think I can help you if you'd stop being so secretive!" Ann flared, losing patience. He was so cut off from her, from everyone and it worried her. Although he was sitting right next to her he may as well have been on another planet. "Tell me what you need and I can try to find it for you. I may not have the ATA but I can still operate the systems and use a computer!"

John's lips quirked at her anger, amused. "Yeah, but it's complicated. She didn't give up any of this intel easily and I have to proceed cautiously, and she'll only give up to me."

"I see. No, I don't. You make the city sound like, like—"

"I know, because that's how I connect with her and think of her. It's easier than thinking of her as just a machine, all right?" His anger flared and he eyed the pad of paper. "Once I get some things clarified we are going there."

"What do you need clarified?" Ann asked, trying a different tactic.

"Names. Other stuff."

"Like what?" At his silence she sighed. "John, please! I could help you. We all want to help you! If you can't talk to me, talk to Rodney or Teyla. You can't bottle all of this up, whatever it is! And don't tell me it's classified or has to do with the mission or because the city told you because you haven't been yourself for weeks!"

John met her gaze. "I'm fine." He ran a hand through his already tousled hair. "You're just gonna have to trust me on this."

"I do! You need to trust us! You need to trust me! You need to trust someone, John!"

"I do," he said quietly, the words slipping out before he could stop himself.

Ann stared at him. "And that, that someone isn't me. Is that it?"

"I trust the city," he hedged, "and that should be good enough, all right? I do trust you, Ann. I just need time to clarify some things and get some facts straight before I decide we do have enough to embark on a mission. Don't make me pull rank on you," he warned, as she was eying his data pad as if she would take it. Not that she would guess his password, that is.

Ann stared at him. "It's a little late for that, John."

He stared at her a moment. Sometimes she was a like a stranger to him and he wondered how he had gotten so involved with her, apart from the obvious, which to him was becoming less and less obvious. He stood, snatching his data pad and his pad of paper off the table. "Maybe, maybe not. I am still your commanding officer regardless of any personal relationships, and for now this intel is classified until I am satisfied." Seeing her surprise he gentled his voice, his expression. "Just give me some time to work this through, Ann. That's all I ask."

"All right, John. Just don't shut me out, all right?"

"Okay. What I really want now is a turkey sand—"

"Incoming wormhole!" a voice shouted from the PA speakers in the room. "Off world activation!"

Without a word John sprinted out of the conference room and to the control room.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

Richard Woolsey was standing at the monitor, looking over Chuck's shoulder. "And you verified the IDC?"

"Yes, sir. It's them. It's Colonel Sheppard's, er, Major Reynold's team. Temporarily," he added quickly seeing John approaching at a quick stride.

"Raise the Shield. They are back early," Richard remarked, heading for the 'Gate room.

John strolled next to him. "That's never a good thing," he muttered.

The team emerged from the shimmering wormhole, but they didn't appear to be injured or upset or even in danger. Before Jason Reynolds could speak Rodney McKay was already talking. "You have to see this John! You have to see this!" He was waving his scanner around in the air like a flag.

"Major?" John asked, trying to keep the resentment out of his voice.

"We were just making contact with the locals and they were telling us about how they had been approached by the Coalition when Doctor McKay discerned the—"

"They were there! They still are, in orbit around the planet!" Rodney interjected, moving to John and showing him the scanner. "Look at these readings!"

John glanced at the screen to see waves of lines and equations. "Wow."

"Wow? This is incredible, John! I was able to detect their ship from the ground! It's in orbit around the planet, and yes, before you ask it is them! It has the same strange anomalous energy signature and it's huge! I'm talking the mass of two warship class ships! I could only get these readings and no visuals but it's there and it's—"

"Huge, got it. What's it doing?" John asked.

"It is in orbit and has not made any contact as far as we know," Teyla Emmagan said. "We advised the people to hide, as if the Wraith were coming."

"When we left they hadn't beamed down to the planet," Ronon Dex added. His grip on his gun was tight, too tight, even though he was safely in Atlantis.

"What did they have to say about the Coalition?" Richard asked.

"What? You're missing the point!" Rodney exclaimed. He looked at John who undoubtedly did get the point. "We have to go back there in a Jumper! This might be our only chance to see one of their ships up close and we can—"

"See what we're up against, yes," John finished for him. "We'll take a cloaked Jumper and gather all the intel we need. Good work, Rodney!"

"Wait, wait, colonel wait!" Richard halted the military commander's exit. "Has Doctor Beckett cleared you for duty?"

John turned to the leader of Atlantis. "No," he was forced to admit, "but we can't waste this opportunity."

"I agree. Major Reynolds, please take the team back to the planet via a cloaked Jumper and—"

"Whoa, whoa! I am leading this mission and that is final!" John stated firmly.

"I'm afraid not, colonel. Major Reynolds, please lead the team," Richard repeated.


	3. Chapter 3

Stargate Atlantis: Dragon's Lair3

Chaos erupted, or so it seemed to John. Several voices were raised at once, in objection and argument and concern. John didn't add his own voice, waiting until the cacophony had died down to a buzzing insistence.

"I'm sorry, but unless Doctor Beckett has released him for active duty I cannot allow him to—" Richard was saying again, voice apologetic but firm.

"Then have Carson release him!" Rodney snapped. "He needs to see this firsthand!"

"He could travel with us and not pilot the Jumper," Teyla offered, trying to find a compromise.

"If Sheppard's not piloting I'm not going," Ronon stated firmly.

"We need to get a closer look at this ship," Jason argued.

"But not at the expense of harming John!" Ann disagreed.

"Enough!" All turned at John's raised voice. "I'm going and that's final, and yes, I will be piloting the Jumper. If something compromises me Rodney can always take over." The physicist nodded in agreement. "Since it's only the Jumper and not the city I should be fine. We can't let this opportunity pass. We're wasting time arguing. Let's get to a Jumper and get out there!" He strode out of the 'Gate room.

Rodney nodded. "Yes! Don't worry, if anything happens to him I will take over, like he said but nothing's going to happen to him!" He hastened after his friend.

"He'll be fine," Ronon agreed, following after the physicist.

"We will monitor him as he pilots the Jumper," Teyla assured before she followed after her team.

Richard shrugged. "Major, let's talk about the Coalition and this local population."

"Wait! You're going to let him go?" Ann asked.

"Yes. He really didn't give me a choice, and the truth is I need him out there. We all need him out there."

"But what if something happens?" she persisted, blue eyes flaring with anger.

"They will make certain that it doesn't, Major Teldy. They'll make sure he's fine."

Nevertheless he decided to have a medical team on standby, just in case.

XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX XxX

"Whoa." John's hand tightened on the controls as he veered up away from the Stargate and into space. Below them the planet was a green and beige ball. Ahead of them lurked a monster.

The alien ship was huge. Rodney had not been exaggerating. It was twice the size of an Ancient warship, even bigger than a Hive cruiser. The Daedalus would be a dwarf compared to it, and the little Puddle Jumper was like a fly buzzing around an elephant. The vessel was long, nearly triangular at the front and wider at the back. It was wholly artificial. There was nothing organic about it like the Wraith ships. It was sleek but ponderous.

It was studded with row after row after row of launch tubes from which powerful weapons could be fired to decimate a ship, or even a planet. The now familiar markings were emblazoned on one side of the vessel.

"They can't see us, right?" Rodney asked, as he scanned and took as many readings as he could.

"Yeah. We're cloaked." Nevertheless John kept a healthy distance at the moment. "Those tubes there…lasers?"

"Oh yes. And there are twice as many on the other side. The…wow! The propulsion system is reading off the charts!"

"They have hyper capabilities then?"

"Yes…but they are moving at sub light right now. The energy requirements must be massive! I'm talking full propulsion on a scale…it's similar to our own systems on the Daedalus, but it's not."

"That helps," Ronon said with a sigh.

"How do you feel John?" Teyla asked. Her concern was more for her friend than for the ship in front of them.

"Fine. Impressed and awed, but fine. Let's swing round and get a little closer."

"Closer? I think we can see fine from here!" Rodney objected.

"Easy, Threepio. To them we're just space dust. And we are cloaked." John guided the little ship in a sweeping arc, past the weapons array. "The question is why are they keeping an orbit around the planet? Unless they've already gone down there."

"I hope that the villagers are hidden well," Ronon said. His stomach was twisting in knots and he curled his hands into fists.

"I find it odd that they do not seem to know about the Stargates," Teyla remarked.

"They don't have Stargates in their galaxy," John explained, "and the Ancients never went there, or went there long ago but didn't stay." He thought about the scene from the past he had seen and been a part of, however briefly.

"Good Lord…" Rodney muttered, raising his eyes from the screens to the viewport.

A yawning chasm marked the launch bay. It could have swallowed Atlantis whole. A force field shimmered, protecting it from the vacuum of space. Inside of it there were hundreds of smaller ships, still bigger than the Jumper however but small in comparison to the mother ship.

"Fighters. These guys are all about size," John jested, but his expression was grim as he flew closer. "Are you getting this, Rodney? Rodney!" John glanced at his friend. The physicist was staring, open-mouthed.

"Huh? Oh, yes, we're recording everything in the ship's systems. As far as I can tell they haven't detected us yet."

"When they start firing we'll know we've been spotted."

"That's not funny, John!" Rodney scolded.

"I have never seen anything like this," Teyla commented, staring.

"Nobody has," John agreed. He activated the HUD. "Rodney?"

Rodney eyed the screen. "It's…huge. Those are auxiliary power cells." He pointed to a place on the screen. "John…if this is only one of the ships…I mean…if they have more like this…"

"We are so screwed," John finished the physicist's thought.

"No wonder the Wraith ran," Ronon noted.

"I really don't blame them," John agreed. He guided the ship past the hangar bay and back round the other side. "Crap. Look at that! That reminds me of the Death Star's laser cannon."

There was a massive battery array on this side, surrounding a concave depression on the hull. A funneling antenna protruded, inert at the moment.

"Turbo lasers."

"What?"

"Answering your question."

"I didn't ask a question."

"You were about to, and yes, it is like the Death Star in that it would require several turbo lasers to combine into a super laser to be fired from that point to destroy a planet."

"So they would be at their weakest after firing it," John surmised.

"Let's hope we don't find out," Rodney said. "Still getting a host of readings and so far we've been undetected."

"We do not want to overstay our welcome," Teyla advised.

"I think you're right, Teyla," John agreed. "We'll do one more sweep. Are you detecting any of them on the planet?"

"I'm not detecting anything on the planet. I've been too busy gathering as much as I can about this ship."

"Sheppard, can the Daedalus stand against that?" Ronon asked, but he felt that he already knew the answer as the sheer size of the enemy vessel overwhelmed the viewport.

John was silent a moment as he flew the Jumper round the enormous vessel. "No," he finally admitted. "Maybe against one, but more than one? No. The Daedalus doesn't have a chance against this thing. And neither does Atlantis."


	4. Chapter 4

Stargate Atlantis: Dragon's Lair4

The beam shot of the sky, out of the massive ship in space above the planet. John's hands froze on the controls. Rodney's hand froze on the dialing sequence and the Stargate's chevrons faded at the incomplete address. The little Jumper was hovering near the Stargate, invisible and ready to go home as were its occupants.

Until that beam of light had intervened and interrupted their plans.

John slowly flew backwards, away from the 'Gate and stared as the beam of light dissolved to reveal four of the aliens. "Scouting party," he recognized. All were hulking beings of muscle and bone. They had grey skin and were armored, and bore weapons. All had that odd neural interface attached to their skulls and each one had a blinking red light.

"What do we do?" Ronon asked. He felt a shiver of fear which upset him more than anything.

"Nothing," Teyla answered. She scooted closer to peer at the strange beings. "The villagers are well-hidden. They will be safe."

"What do you think they are doing?" Rodney asked. He nervously swallowed.

John shook his head. "I have no idea…but now's a good time to find out. We can shadow them without being detected. I think."

The scouting party was moving out now, away from the Stargate in which they had no interest. Against the bland beige of the planet they were easy to spot, even in the shadows as they entered the tree line.

"Maybe they're on a mission, you know, like we go on mission," Rodney offered. He was nervous and when he got nervous he talked even more than usual. "Maybe they are explorers like we are and just want to explore, maybe even make contact although they haven't done that so far. Maybe they need supplies or fuel or—"

"Or maybe they're looking for something," John said quietly. "How far out are we? I mean in terms of your charts."

"Far. Not on the fringes of the galaxy but still quite a ways from the center, from Atlantis. Why?"

"Just thinking." John was trying to picture their position in his head. The HUD activated as if in answer and a map was displayed. John studied it quickly as he tried to overlay it with what he had drawn only hours ago in the conference room.

"Do you know what they are looking for?" Ronon asked.

"Maybe. I'm trying to guess their trajectory, their flight pattern."

"If we could talk to them perhaps we could broker a treaty," Teyla suggested.

"Simmons said we couldn't do that…and besides, we are trying that," Rodney amended to John's glare. "Wait! You're not suggesting we try that now, are you? Are you?"

"Hell no," Ronon growled.

"Let's just follow them for now and see what's what," John decided. He flew the ship slowly, rising above the trees to shadow their movements. "Is there an Ancient city here?"

"Yes, well, what's left of it. It's mostly ruins. It looked like the Wraith had decimated it. Why? Is that where they are going?" Rodney asked.

"Yes."

"You mean the fuglies know about the Ancients?" Rodney asked.

"Sort of."

"You mean they know about Atlantis?" Rodney persisted.

"No. They don't know about Atlantis."

"John, you are not making sense. The Ancients had contact with these creatures?" Teyla interjected.

"Yes, long ago. It took them this long to find a way to this galaxy from theirs. They don't know about the Stargate network. They really don't know anything."

"So they are explorers?" Rodney asked.

"Yes and no."

"You sound like McKay," Ronon complained.

"Gee, thanks for that," John said with a smirk. "What I'm saying is they are explorers but they are looking for something. When I was in the virtual reality or time warp or vision or whatever the hell it was the city showed me."

"Showed you what, exactly? Them?" Rodney questioned, but he exchanged a relieved glance with his friends. Finally John was talking about it and acting more like himself.

"No, not them. It showed me a city that had ventured to their galaxy and had found something and took it from them. It came back here under heavy fire but the fuglies couldn't follow. And before you ask, no, I have no idea what they took or if it's even a weapon."

"At least now we know why they are coming here," Teyla considered. "They are searching for this object, whatever it is, and that city. At the same time they are exploring a galaxy that is new to them…but they are overly hostile."

"Yes." John glanced at her, smiled. "You got it, Teyla. We have to find that city and reach it before they do."

"They found it. I mean the remains of this city. Look." Rodney pointed.

John turned back to see the creatures standing at the base of a dilapidated tower. They were running equipment over it, scanners of some sort. One was gesticulating. "That must be the scientist," he jested.

"Ha ha. What the…oh oh. We better go, John. Those things on their heads…they're pointed right at us."

"So? They can't see us, right? Right?"

In answer one of the aliens was lifting his weapon towards the ship.

"Crap! Looks like they can. Let's get outta Dodge!" John swung the ship round and flew higher, as a laser blew under the Jumper and just nicked the cloak. "How can they see us?"

"I don't know! Their ship must be scanning as well and picked us up and relayed it to them via those headset things! Oh oh."

"What now?" Ronon asked.

"I'm detecting a targeting scan heading for us! John—"

"Dial the 'Gate! Now!" John took evasive action, swerving and swooping the Jumper towards the surface with dizzying speed.

"Weapons lock!"

"Damn these guys are unfriendly! Rodney?"

"Dialing! Transmitting IDC!"

"What's that?" Ronon pointed.

A long silver object was flying out of the sky, out of the stars. It was approaching fast. Suddenly the pointed front of it blossomed into a red glare like a rocket.

"Let's not stick around to find out! Atlantis, this is Sheppard! We're coming in hot! Close the Shield once we're through! Hang on!"

"We're going too fast!" Teyla warned.

"We have to outrun that thing, whatever it is!" John explained.

"You have to slow down before we hit the event horizon!" Rodney warned.

"Can't! Brace for impact!" John warned.

The Jumper zoomed into the shimmering wormhole.

The rocket followed.

The wormhole disengaged.


	5. Chapter 5

Stargate Atlantis: Dragon's Lair5

"Incoming, sir! Incoming hot! Sheppard's IDC!" Chuck announced and lowered the Shield before Richard got the order out of his mouth.

Laser fire pinged and marines dove for cover in the 'Gate room. A Jumper flew out of the wormhole, barely stopping in time before it crashed into the glass wall separating it from the control room.

"Raise the Shield!" John ordered. "Clear the room!" Already he was flying upwards as the doors above him opened.

A red projectile zoomed through halfway then disintegrated as the Shield cut it in half. Unfortunately the forward motion continued, and the deadly dart flew through a marine and into a wall where it exploded. Masonry crashed and alarms began to blare wildly. The doors to the 'Gate room shut in an automatic lockdown.

"Override that! Beckett, we need you to the 'Gate room now!" Richard ordered, but he could see it was too late for the hapless marine.

"Overriding security systems," Radek Zelenka stated, fingers flying over the keyboard. "Initial reports of damage are minimal, but that thing almost blew through the entire wall!"

"Remove it and take it to the lab for analysis. Colonel Sheppard, copy? Are you…oh." Richard turned as John and his team entered the control room no worse for wear. "I take it you did more than observe?" he asked wryly.

John smiled. "No, we did observe but somehow they—"

"How did the detect us?" Rodney fumed, as if outraged. "And why on the planet and not when we were circling round them like a fly?" He snapped his fingers several times. "Because we were a fly and too tiny to notice, but on that planet when they began to scan we must have stuck out like as sore thumb, despite our cloak! Where is that thing? Did it make it through?" He moved to the 'Gate room to see several technicians carefully prying something out of what was left of the wall.

John stepped next to him to see Carson and a medical team loading a body onto a gurney. The doctor looked up and sadly shook his head. "Damn…that was Wilkins," John said. He turned back to Richard. "We've got scans and the—"

"I've downloaded everything from the Jumper and we will start immediate analysis, but John's right. It doesn't look good for us," Rodney interrupted.

"As long as everyone is all right," Richard said, eying the team.

"John was fine," Teyla said to the unasked question in the expedition leader's eyes. "He was just like himself and got us safely home."

"He even talked to us," Ronon added.

John eyed him sourly, but replied, "Well, it seemed the right time for that intel, but I still need to clarify some things." He saw Ann watching him and he shrugged. He looked at Richard. "We need to talk."

"Of course, colonel. This way. Good job, people."

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Radek shook his head. He was bent over a Plexiglas container in which what was left of the projectile was reclining. It was inert. It was a silver color, a metal that so far could not be identified and the laser point was a dull red glow as the power was dying. Carefully he pushed his gloved hands into the container and used a set of tools to pry at the weapon's power pack.

"Anything?" Rodney asked, joining him.

Radek looked up to see Rodney had on a full hazmat suit. The Czech merely shook his head, used to his friend's extremely cautious behavior. "Not yet. It's not radioactive."

"I'd rather err on the side of caution," Rodney said. He neared, peering at the device. "I'm uploading the Jumper's scans to our computers now. You should have seen this ship, Radek! It's huge! It's bigger than anything out here! The hangar bay alone could hold two Ancient cities and the weapons…they're incredible! The propulsion unit must be way more advanced than even the Asgard's!"

"And so far I cannot even make a dent in this material." He looked up at Rodney. "Is it truly as bad you say?"

Rodney sobered. "Yes. It truly is. John's not sure even the Daedalus can stand against one if not more of them. I'm not even sure an Ancient warship could. Maybe not even a Hive cruiser."

"In that case we must find another way to defeat them. Perhaps with this."

Rodney eyed the inert weapon. "Yes…using their own tech against them. That could work, with a naquadah enhanced component. They wouldn't be expecting that!"

"The question is, will it be enough?" Radek asked.

Rodney didn't have an answer.

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Richard sat at his desk, his hands folded together on top of a manila folder. The folder was empty, as most reports were on data pads and such, but still the feel of the familiar material centered him. He didn't know what to say, processing all of the information. Finally he opened a drawer and pulled out two shot glasses. He pulled out a bottle of Scotch and poured some of the amber liquid into each glass. He pushed one glass forward as he took the other and downed the contents.

John stared in surprise, but nonetheless took the proffered drink and downed it. He licked his lips, set the glass aside. "I take it we're not celebrating."

Richard smiled. "No. Dutch courage is what we need, if even half of what you speculate is true."

John sighed, sitting back in the comfortable chair. He rested his arms on the generous armrests, just relaxing. He wasn't connected to the city by any means yet he could feel it around him, listening but making no further contact with him. "We have limited options, but at least we have a few. The only good thing is that we have time. The fuglies are still a ways out from us, and they don't know where we are, or even that we exist."

"Are you certain about that?"

"Yes. Otherwise they would have made a beeline for us." He sat forward suddenly, voice dropping to a low, conspiratorial tone. "If you ask me I think something hinky went on."

"Hinky?" Richard questioned, wanting to smile but the military commander was quite serious.

"Yeah. Hinky. From what I can glean this other city went against orders and got burned in the process. By the time they got back it was too late for Atlantis to help them. I haven't quite worked out the details since I can't go that deep in the city, at least not yet, but that would explain why any records are buried or expunged."

"More dirty secrets," Richard said. "You think these, these new aliens have a real grievance?"

"Maybe. It's been thousands of years so to them it could just be a story, a myth they want to explore now that they have finally found a way to cross galaxies. I don't know. I'm no anthropologist. But I do know when there is this much of a cover-up something went wrong or someone went against orders."

"And now it's a race to get to that city."

"Yes. We have the upper hand, however."

"That makes a nice change. What's your plan?"

"Simple. We have to go that city, once I can verify its location and a few other details. I want to be sure it's safe and not in the path of the fuglies. We need to keep tabs on the Daedalus and that other ship and warn the Daedalus ASAP. We need to stop trying to dial Earth."

"What? Why?"

"It's taking up too much power and too many resources. We're going to need everything we've got for this fight, should it come to that. Lastly, as much as I hate this, we need to make an alliance with the Wraith. They are our only hope against the fuglies, and we are theirs."

"I agree, and I dislike it as much as you. Okay, maybe not as much as you," Richard amended to John's dire stare. "Is there any way we can access any kind of information from the city to dig deeper? The Podium, perhaps?"

"Ann suggested that, and it's a good idea. I doubt anything's there but it's worth a shot. Problem is you have to go pretty deep, and well…" He left the rest unsaid.

"Understood." Richard sighed. "Maybe Carson could try. His ATA is nearly as strong as yours, and we can pull him out if there is any kind of distress."

"I think it's worth a try. Carson will understand the risks and we can disconnect him quickly because we will be monitoring him." John rubbed his temple. "We can't let the city get complete control of him."

"Like it did you. Yes, I agree. How are you feeling, by the way?"

"Fine. I can still feel it. It's like an echo now…but I don't feel as…" John paused, unable to find the word he wanted. He rubbed his temple again as a headache was haunting him.

Richard was watching him. "Get some rest, colonel. I want as much information as we can get, as much as you need before you embark on this mission, but not at anyone's detriment. I am still putting out feelers to the Coalition. Do we need to contact Todd?"

"Not yet. Let me see what I can find, first. I'd rather have an ace up our sleeve before we broker that particular arrangement." He stood. "As it stands now, Richard…we don't have a chance in hell of defeating them."

Richard nodded. He watched the military commander depart. He sighed, knowing that the assessment was probably right.

Atlantis might have returned home only to be destroyed.


End file.
